Rupture relief belt



June 2, 1936. L. A. FRITSCH RUPTURE RELIEF' BELT Filed Oct. 5,' 19:35

Cttornegs.

:inventor Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

One object of the present invention is. to provide a device of the class described, in which the pads may be detached in a few secondsv of time, from the belt, Without the aid of a screw driver 5 or any tool, simply by the manipulation of a lock under the control of the thumb an-d the forenger. So far as I am advised as to the state of the art, and as a result of my experience, extending over a period of about` thirty years, all

l trusses and belts for rupture have been made heretofore, in such a Way that the pad is held on the body of the belt by means of one or two screws. Such a construction requires the use of a screw driver, and anywhere from three-quarters l of a. minute upward is required to detachv or attach the pad.

In view of the foregoing, one object of the present invention is to vprovide novel means for mounting the pads adjustably and removably on V the belt, other objects being to provide a belt which can be taken apart readily for washing, to provide novel means for holding the belt in place on the body of the wearer, and, generally, to improve and enhance the utility of devices of that sort to which the present invention appertains. With the above an-d other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described an-d claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. l shows in rear elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan showing the device partly in condition to be placed about the body of the wearer, the View illustrating the construction of the belt, and no attempt being made to depict the article as it will appear when in use;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the spring plate;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental view showing a portion of the body of the belt;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the separable fastener that holds the pad in place and forms an anchorage for the ends of the belt;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the flexible ring that cooperates with the pad.

The belt, as a who-le, is marked by the numeral I, and is made of flexible material. The belt I comprises a front piece 2, somewhat Wider in its (Cl. 12S-,100)

intermediate portion than at its ends, and constructed of canvas. or the like. In one end portion of the body 2 there is an opening 3;, in the form of a transverse slit. Elastic straps 4 and 5` are connected to the ends` of the body 2, adjustably and removably, by any suitableV means, such as buckles 6. Couplings in the form of eyes I. are provided and are connected. to: the ends, of the straps 4 and 5, for adjustment'longi-Y tudinally of the straps, by any desired means, for 10 instance, through the instrumentality of cam buckles 8.

The front. part ofthe body 2 ofy thezbelt I is supplied with a pocket designated by the numeral 9 in Fig. 3.V This pocket is Vformed by a patch I0. 15 The patch IIIy is secured along its lower edge to the body 2 by a bottom stitching shown at I I. Upper stitchings I2 connect the patch III to the body 2. At a single place intermediate its ends, the upper edge of the patch IIIk is connected to 20. the body 2, as shown at.. I.4. The pocket 9in View of the foregoing, is. open at the top, saving for the connection shown at I4; and the ends of the pocket are open also. A reenforcing strip I5, shown in Fig. 3, may be applied to the outer sur- 25 face of the body 2, intermediate. the ends` of the pocket 9, the reenforcing strip extending from the upper edge of the body to the lower edge thereof and being secured tothe body.

The patch IIIv that -forms the pocket 9 is pro.- 30. vided with openings I6, located side by side, the edges ofthek openings being suitably bound, for reenforcement.

The numeral I'I designates, in Fig. 4, a resilient metal plate, preferably made of spring steel, 35 and bowed slightly, from end to end, as indicated in Fig. 3. The plate II is widest at its ends and tapers toward its central portion, as Fig. 4 will show. Near to its ends, the plate I'I has central holes I8, with other holes I9 arranged there- 40 about. The plate II can be introduced into the pocket 9 through the upper, open edge of the pocket. The body 2 has central holes 20, as shown in Fig. 5, and other holes 2l are formed in the body, about the central holes 20. The holes 20 45 of the body 2 register with the holes I8 of the plate I'I, and the holes 2| of the body 2 register with the holes I9 of the plate I'I. 'Ihis is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Pads 22 are located in the pocket 9, and abut 50 against the spring plate I1. Flexible rings 23, made of leather, if desired, are -disposed in the pocket 9, about the pads 22. Cover pieces 24 are secured to the rings 23, and extend across the openings in the rings. 'Ihe cover pieces 24 are 55 Kof the wearer.

made of material, preferably textile material, which will stretch, the cover pieces being considerably more yieldable than are the rin-gs 23, the rings being flexible, but having noy tendency to stretch.

As shown in Fig. 6, separable connectors are provided. 'I'hey comprise a Spearhead prong 25, secured to the pad 22, and extended through the hole I8 of the plate I1 and through the hole 20 of the body 2 of the belt I, a button 26 having a neck 21 receiving the prong 25 and journaled in the hole 20 of the body 2, and a key 28 slidable on the button 26 and including spring arms 29 i adapted to engage the prong 25, to hold the button 26 detachably on the prong, the key-28 being outwardly movable to the positionofFig. 6, to release the hold of the arms` 29 onthe prong q 25. The buttons 26 are located-on the outsidev of the body 2 of the belt I, as Fig. 2 will show.

Aspring plate removably mounted in the pocket,

The belt is placed around the body of the wearer, in the position roughly and diagrammaticallyshown in Fig. 2. The elastic strap 5 is run through the opening 3 of the body 2 to bring the end of the strap 5'on the outside of the body, the straps 5 and 4 extending in opposite directions. The eyes 1 then are mounted over the buttons 26. The buttons 26, therefore, have two offices. First, they form part of the pad-securing means, and, secondly, they make a place of anchorage for the ends of the elastic straps 4. The length of the straps 4 and 5 may be adjusted by shifting them in the buckles 6. The buckles 8 afford an adjustment for the eyes 1. The spring plate I'I yields and conforms to the body The pads 22 bulge the cover pieces 24 outwardly through the openings I6 of the patch I0, as shown in Fig. 3.

:The separableV fastening of Fig. 6 renders it possible for the operator to detach the pad 22 in an instant, without the use of tools. The elastic straps 4 and 5 may be taken off to enable the body 2 of the belt to be Washed, and when the belt is to be washed, theplate I'I, the pads, and the rings 23 are removed. The stretchable cover pieces 24, in combination with the flexible but inelastic rings 23, aid in holding the pads 22 in Because the material used at 24 is place. stretchable, and elastic, the parts 24 will conform readily to pads of different sizes. The pads may be adjusted with respect to the plate II and the body 2 of the belt, by putting the prong 25 of Fig. 6 in the openings I9 and 2I, rather than in the openings I8 and 20.

of the belt, separable fasteners extending through the belt and holding the pads on the belt and comprising parts exposed on the front of the belt, the ends of the belt having means for detachably connecting said ends with said exposed parts of the separable fasteners, a member secured to the inner surface of the belt, intermediate the ends of the belt, and forming a pocket on thebelt, said member having openings, the pads extending through the openings, land a the separable fasteners connecting the pads to the plate.

2. A rupture relief appliance comprising a belt having ends, pads on the intermediate portion of the belt, separable fasteners extending through the belt and holding the pads on the belt and comprising parts exposed on the front of the belt, the ends of the belt having means for detachably connecting said ends with said exposed parts of the separable fasteners, a member on the belt and forming a pocket on the belt, said member having openings, the pads extending through the openings, a spring plate removably mounted in the pocket, the separable fasteners connecting the pads to the plate, flexible inelastic rings removably mounted in the pockets and surrounding the pads, and elastic cover pieces carried by the rings and stretched through the openings by the pads.

3. A rupture relief belt having a wall which forms an open pocket, the wall being provided with an opening, a spring plate removably mounted in the pocket, a pad in the pocket and projecting through the opening, a flexible inelastic ring in the pocket and surrounding the pad, an elastic cover piece carried by the ring and bulged through the opening by the pad, and a fastener comprising separable parts mounted respectively on the pad and on the belt, one of said separable parts passing through the plate.

LEWIS A. FRITSCH. 

